D - Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them
C – Reason abstractly and quantitatively
A – Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
E – Model with mathematics
B – Use appropriate tools strategically
F – Attend to precision
H – Look for and make use of structure
G – Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Several of the vignettes could have been placed on several
mathematical practices. When I first
started matching them, the task seemed easy.
With the last three or four it became difficult. I had to really think about the mathematics
and strategies involved in the vignettes.
In D, Anna monitored and evaluated her progress and changes
her strategy when it did not work. I
believe she had to make sense of the problem and persevere.
In C, Zoe made sense of quantities and their
relationships. She actually discovered
the commutative property.
In A, students justified their conclusions, distinguished
reasoning from that which was flawed and communicated their conclusions with
others.
In E, I labeled this task with Model with Mathematics
because Rachel applied mathematics to solve this everyday life problem. She was able to identify important quantities
and create an equation.
In B, Mindy used the number line as a tool to solve the
mathematics problem. She made a sound
decision about what tool to use.
In F, Lin and Ben tried to use precise definitions in their
discussion and in their reasoning.
In H, Ricky was able to look discern a structure by using his
toy cars as a strategy to organize his thinking.
In G, Kelly found a general method or shortcut when adding integers
with opposite signs.
As I attempted to match the skills with the standards I had to rely on my vocabulary skills. I think I matched them the same as you Shannon R except I lost ground with the last two. Standards 7 and 8 both require the student(s) to look. Therefore I had H and G mixed up. As I am learning the math more I sometimes feel like I have an advantage because I can rely on my literacy skills to assist me in understanding the math vocabulary and the fact that my principal gave me her copy of Putting the Practices Into Action by Susan O’Connell and John SanGiovanni.
ReplyDeletePat
DeleteMany times mathematics vocabulary instruction is not a focal point. However, it is essential when building conceptual understanding.
I believe all teachers are teachers of literacy (reading, writing, speaking and listening). Weak literacy skills negatively impact all subjects, ironically I believe weak math skills have no impact on literacy. What do you all think?
Pat, I just got the book "Putting the Practices into Action" last week. I heard it was great! I hope to start on it this week.
Shannon-
ReplyDeleteAs I matched the problems, I also agree with your conclusions. Most importantly, I began to see a common theme within each problem. It is important that we use math vocabulary to give our students a sound foundation to solve problems that may not necessarily be clear to them in the beginning. True, several of the vignettes could have been used in several places but overall the ability of the teacher to understand the student's learning process and how to integrate certain problems to improve mathematical reasoning and competency at its highest level is vital.
I also agree that many of the vignettes could have been placed in multiple scenarios. There was much overlap in the vignettes, but this is often the case in the classroom. Students can use a variety of strategies to solve a problem. Students are different and can solve the same problem in multiple ways. Shannon, like you, I also started out with ease and did not have any problems placing the vignettes. Then I got to the last two and started to move some things around. Overall, I liked this activity. It made me think about how students solve problems and the thought process they follow as they are working.
DeleteWe should always focus on student thinking so we can better scaffold lesson and counteract misconceptions. That is why it is so important for teachers to work tasks that they will assign to students.
DeleteThis activity really made me focus on student thinking and academic behaviors that were displayed in scenarios.
Professional Development:
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the article, Designing Effective Professional Development Experiences by Lucy Steiner it revealed a very important fact that leaders of instruction whether it is at the school, district, state, or national level seem to forget. As we are designing professional development activities, we must first determine the expected outcome. What is it that we want our participants to walk away with? Is there a clear expectation for this session at its completion? Additionally, professional development sessions should be aligned with change efforts. What are we going to do differently and how can we prepare for this change? According to the research in the study, subject-area professional development connects better with reform efforts. The research by Garet (2001) suggests that traditional forms of professional development such as workshops are not as effective as long-term professional development plans with regular follow-ups.
What Makes Professional Development Effective shares several core features that make professional development sessions effective. They are:
• Ongoing
• Explicit goal
• Attention to student thinking
• Access to alternative ideas & methods
As the article graciously explains that our professional development sessions are less effective because we seldom follow the core features.
Doresia,
DeleteYou have made some excellent points. Just as the article states, it is important to consider the desired outcome of professional development. Knowing what you want to achieve will allow you to plan accordingly. Certain activities will allow the PD to achieve the desired goal over others.
I also think it is important to not only provide professional development that is research based and aligned with change efforts, but also to provide professional development that the teachers want. If a teacher is not interested in the topic or does not think they will be able to use the information, they will be less likely to attend. In addition, professional development should be ongoing so that teachers can continue to get the support to collaborate, make adjustments, and improve to meet the needs of all students.